Every family seems to have that one uncle whose snoring is nothing less than a family legend. Stories will circulate at get-togethers about how his snoring is loud enough to keep the rest of the family awake every night. This snoring might be a steady buzz saw or might be punctuated by periods of silence followed by gasping and choking. The former is snoring and the latter is sleep apnea. There are many ways that snoring and sleep apnea are related and many ways that they are different. When one is looking at how snoring and sleep apnea are related the most obvious correlation is that they both take place when a person is sleeping. They also both deal with the way the air moves in and out of the lungs of the person sleeping. In order to get air into one's lungs, there are many roadblocks in the way. If you are breathing through your mouth, the air needs to get past your lips, teeth, tongue, uvula, tonsils, vocal chords, and into the lungs. If you breathe through your nose your sinuses and adenoids can also block the flow of air. In a normal person the air should find a clear pathway into your lungs, but if any one of the above organs is enlarged then you can suffer from snoring or sleep apnea. In the above paragraph we answer the question "how are they related?" It is much more important, however, to ask how snoring and sleep apnea are different. Snoring is a social nuisance whereas sleep apnea is a life-threatening disease. If you or your spouse suffers from snoring, it might be simply because of your sleeping position. Most snoring takes place when you are sleeping on your back; if you shift to sleeping on your side or stomach the problem may be fixed. You might also be able to fix your snoring problem by losing some weight or avoiding alcohol before bed. Many people buy over the counter nose strips and find that they also help with snoring. Unfortunately, snoring and sleep apnea are related only on a superficial level. While these quick fixes can help with snoring, often times much more intensive treatment is required to cure sleep apnea. This is a medical condition that causes the sleeper to stop breathing during the night. Generally it caused by an obstructed airway. During the night, the sleeper might stop breathing for up to a minute at time and do this hundreds of times. If not properly treated, it can cause serious health problems. If a change in your diet and sleeping habits don't lessen your apnea, you might want to talk to your doctor about getting a continuous positive airway pressure device that keeps forcing air down your throat and therefore keeps your airway open. When you are comparing snoring and sleep apnea, it is important to ask how they are related. It is also important to ask how they are different. The degree of severity between snoring and sleep apnea can be the difference between a disturbed night's sleep and a severe medical condition.
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